The nice thing about this recipe is that you can get all fancy and do everything yourself (make your own tart dough, make your own pesto, etc) OR, you can buy that stuff and this is really easy.
Either way, this tart is one of the few way to make tomatoes taste better.
Ingredients
- Dough for a 9-inch single crust pie, or use store-bought, rolled into an 11-inch round (see Note)
- 1 ½ pounds ripe heirloom tomatoes (about 4 medium)
- ¼ cup store-bought pesto
- ¾ cup shredded mozzarella (about 3 ounces)
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano
- 3 large eggs
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
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Heat oven to 350 degrees. Fit the rolled-out dough into a 9-inch tart pan, allowing the edges to rise about 1/4 inch above the rim of the pan. Prick the dough all over with a fork.
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Line the dough with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes until beginning to brown at the edges. Remove from the oven and carefully remove the foil and weights. Increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees.
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Meanwhile, cut the tomatoes into 1/2-inch slices. Place in a colander to drain excess tomato liquid for 20 minutes.
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Spread 1/4 cup pesto in an even layer over the parbaked tart crust. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella over the pesto. Sprinkle the fresh basil and oregano over the cheese.
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In a medium bowl, prepare the custard: Whisk together the eggs, cream, salt and pepper until combined.
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Place the sliced tomatoes evenly over the cheese and herbs in overlapping concentric circles.
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Pour the custard evenly over the tomato slices. Swirl the pan to evenly distribute the liquid. Bake until the filling is set and won’t jiggle when shaken, about 35 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving warm. This tart can also be served at room temperature.
